A road isn't normally the sort of thing grown men get excited about. But in Chah-e-Mirza it's a big deal. At no other time during the shura (meeting) between 27 or so elders gathered under the canopy of an Afghan compound did they get so animated. When complete, the six-mile (10km) stretch of tarmac will connect the previously-out-of-reach desert communities in the north of the district to the south.

Jamie Murray, officer in command of B Company 2 Royal Gurkha Rifles, explained: "It is the most clear sign of progress. It has economic and social benefits; it will mean people can bring their livestock and goods to sell at the bazaar in Shawqat. It's a journey that will take hours instead of days."

"We're very happy about this road," remarks one waqil (elder), whose white turban looks like a freshly whipped meringue. "When people go to sleep they dream of this road."

The elders of Chah-e-Mirza want the road to be raised; they have concerns about the contractor and they have concerns about the foundation of the road.

The prospect of a road appears to weigh more heavily on their minds than that of bombs, although these are never far from their thoughts. Two of the men at the shura have had their legs blown off by improvised explosive devices (IEDs).

That day's shura dealt with the concrete and the divine. The Afghans recently observed Lailat-al-Qadar - the night Muslims believe Allah revealed the first verses of the Qur'an to Muhammad.

In theory the gathering at Chah-e-Mirza was a religious shura. So, as it was Ramadan, the chaplain for 45 Commando Group Royal Marines, Scott Shackleton, explained to the mullah that Christianity had traditions of fasting and feasting, as did other world religions.

The mullah, speaking through an interpreter, said it was his job to make life easier for people. "Allah has given us the energy to fast; Allah makes this month easier. The last 10 days of Ramadan are very holy and people will spend the night of Lailat Al Qadr praying."

The mullah also gave his verdict on the visit of Royal Marine Gary Hussein, a Muslim serving in the armed forces, to the district. "It was very good; people were very happy when they saw a Muslim soldier from Britain. It's going to introduce Britain to people, that Muslims are allowed to live and work there. It's very good for people to know that they have some Muslims over there. Most people will say that British people are here because they don't like our religion or want to change our religion."

He and the chaplain agreed shuras were a good way to sort out any misunderstandings. What followed was a canter through the pressing issues of the day, with both sides engaged in polite haggling. Except instead of bartering over goods, they were doing it over reconstruction and security.

A shura can be about anything or everything and, were it not for Ramadan, the shura would have seen the waqils chugging chai and throwing raisins into their mouth. But some things are mainstays, such as opening remarks, niceties and latecomers - a sequence repeated several times during the course of the morning - and the fact that the more important you are, the more people get to their feet to welcome you.

A shura is also prone to unruliness, with multiple conversations erupting at any time and mobile phones being answered mid-address. The one at Chah-e-Mirza, although it featured all of the above characteristics, was reasonably ordered according to shura veterans.

Murray, from the Royal Ghurka Rifles, said afterwards: "My experience is that the longer you've known them, the less small talk there is. I try to talk about the economic and social aspects of our work, then security, but the elders don't want to talk about security unless there's something wrong. A lot of work gets done on the sidebars.

"The mullah has a huge influence on people because they all go to the mosque and this one is very well respected. It was a good turn-out considering it was Ramadan."